propetius poems - content Flashcards
(27 cards)
elegies 3.1
the invocation of Callimachus - to celebrate italian subject in greek rhythms
rebukes apollo (poetry) being always being long and about battles - can be short and about other things
speaks about rome and the other things he wants from the muse - wants to be remembered after he is dead, for that is when things become important / remembered
names all the heroes made famous by poetry
elegies 3.2
discusses the power of poetry to move things/people
suggests his girl should be happy because his poetry is a record of her beauty
suggest buildings can be destroyed by the elements but her beauty will transcend death because it is remembered in verse
elegies 3.3
idealised dream of Helicon - lists some of the famous epic / historical figures that he drinks from the stream
interrupted by Apollo who tells him not to trifle in epic but rather do as he is destined and write about love
describes the path of elegy and finding the muses
Calliope chooses him tells him not to write epic but about lovers instead of
elegies 3.4
emboldens men to seek triumph and glory in war, securing the history of Rome and prays to see their success before his death
asks venus to protect the julio-claudian line (styled as the descendants of aeneas) and he will cheer on the soldiers from the sacred way
elegies 3.5
calls amor the god of peace and compares how war and greed go together - but no one carries that wealth to the underworld once they’re dead
asserts he prefers the elegiac landscape as a young man but that the passage of years can obstruct Venus
describes landscapes etc around the world
end of his life in comparison with that of a soldier
elegies 3.6
asks Lygdamus what he thinks of the mistress and for them not to lie about it
wants to know if she was upset after their falling out
threatens the slave again to be honest
compares her to a sorceress casting spell
asks the slave to tell him is she says anything
elegies 3.7
his friend Paetus drowns at sea and there was no body to bury/cremate
outraged at the gods for his death
talks about the tragedy / epic witness by shorelines (agamemnon etc)
if his friend hadn’t been greedy and worked the field instead he might be alive
reflects that he is better off with his lover than seeking more
elegies 3.8
describes his puella getting mad at him - which he enjoyed and encourages her to attack him like a wild beast
wants people to see the marks of her passion upon him
wants to suffer love
elegies 3.8A
tells the puella to be glad no one is as beautiful as her because of how proud she is
addresses vulcan for his trick against venus and mars
elegies 3.9
addressed to maecenas
talks about his role in the roman state and praises him - compares him with Camillus
suggests he is being lead by his patron to take on higher subject matters
elegies 3.10
cynthia’s birthday - thanks that she was born / praises her beauty etc
says she should be worshipped
elegies 3.11
poem about how women take over the lives of men - ‘enslaving’ them and getting them to do things they ordinarily wouldn’t do
several mythological examples such as the colchian witch and Penthesilea, then into the distant historical with semiramis and babylon, into the near historical with cleopatra and then back through roman history through the kings
elegies 3.12
addressing postumus, discussing Galla and her faithfulness when he goes to war in parthia
describes what state he will return to her/rome in if he should die
comparison with odysseus and penelope, saying Galla is more loyal
elegies 3.13
begins wondering why paying for an escort is so expensive now - sees it as an emblem of ruin
discusses all of the goods which come from the east which women don supposedly in excess
alludes to a competition between the wives of a deceased eastern man - essentially a death match where they compete to be burned with their husband
lists the virtues and gifts and beauties of rural life and how rural shrines lay deserted now
suggests rome is being destroyed by wealth and compares himself to cassandra not being listened too
elegies 3.14
admires the girls gymnasium in sparta where women exercise naked and shameless
describes her wrestling and discus throwing, compared to amazons.
also praises the fact that lovers are not separated or punished
entreats rome to mimic sparta
elegies 3.15
tries to reassure cynthia that she shouldn’t be jealous of his past lover Lycinna and that since meeting Cynthia he has not thought of another
talks about how Dirce punisahed her servant with unfair work and by striking her when Antiope slept with her Lycus until she ran away
Dirce was eventually punished for her jealousy with death - propertius tells cynthia not to punish Lycinna because she is innocent and to close her ears to gossip because he loves her only
elegies 3.16
Propertius receives a letter from his puella to go to the Tibur
fears that he will be roughed up by criminals etc but also doesnt want to upset her
suggests no one would hurt a sacred lover
imagines if he did die she would decorate his tomb and worries about the tomb being somewhere busy where it might be disturbed
doesnt want his name to mark a street
elegies 3.17
prayer addressed to bacchus
prayers for him to cleanse his soul of sorrow with wine and take his troubles away - protect him from angry venus
complains about having to sleep alone
hopes the wine will help him sleep and promises to plant a vineyard if he helps
gives a brief overview of events in bacchus’ life
promises to mimic pindar using an elevated style
elegies 3.18
mourning the unfairness of Marcellus’ death, talks about how Baiae was great but is now stained by the crime of his death
describes the journey to death / the potential games for his funeral
goes through a list of heroes and how their best qualities did not save them
addresses the boatman Charon
names some of his ancestors who are also dead
elegies 3.19
says that his lover is more controlled by her passion than he is - naming all the things which will sooner end than her passion
names several women who do perverse or subversive things - Pasiphae and the bull, Medea murdering her children etc
elegies 3.20
describes setting terms/ having a contract before they lay together
elegies 3.21
propertius has to take a trip to athens to try to stop the love he feels
talks about how Cynthia holds him at a distance and barely ever gives him what he wants but he can’t stop thinking about her
says goodbye and lists what he plans to do - learn philosophy and oratory etc
hopes the passing of time or the physical distance will take his love
elegies 3.22
addresses Tullus
asks if the places he has been please him and whether he cares that Propertius misses him
talks about why rome is the best
tells Tullus all that he owes to rome (being alive) and what he might get (a wife)
